iM Contributions to Physical Geography. 



que d'or. Le sable des mines de Nijny-Toura ofFre le meme 

 melange, et la presence de Thydrate de fer est rautantphis re- 

 marquable, que c''est dans cette breche qu'au Brezil on trouve le 

 diamant incrust^ ; ce qui fait voir que ces deux mineraux ne 

 se trouvcnt pas par hazard ensemble, mais comme debris d''une 

 meme formation de roches.*" 



As the above-mentioned sand strata (sables) extend for more 

 than 250 square wersts, and are for the most part covered with 

 wood, M. Von Engelliardt could not enter into any particular 

 researches for diamonds, which, probably mingled with a quan- 

 tity of other little crystals, could not otherwise be separated 

 from the clayey sand, than by the operation of washing, and 

 where, besides, all depended upon a happy accident of the 

 finder. But he communicated his remarks, and the opinion, 

 that doubtless diamonds were to be found here, to the direc- 

 tors of the Turinsky works, who were ready to make the neces- 

 sary preparations for the discovery of the treasure, hidden in 

 the lap of the earth. At the same time he advised them, as 

 the external quality of rough diamonds would probably be 

 little or not at all known to the officers there, to send some 

 from St Petersburgh, to serve as specimens at their search- 

 ings. 



The St Petersburgh Scientific Committee for the mines or- 

 dered the letter of Professor Engelhardt to be printed in a 

 Russian translation, in the 11th number of the Journal for 

 Mining Science. In the following year, by order of the Finance 

 Minister, an order was sent to all mine-directors at the Ural 

 mountains, and also to the Perm mine administration, to make 

 a search for diamonds. Also, in the year 18^9, the director of 

 the Bogaszlowsky mines sent out a peculiar expedition to make 

 such researches, which indeed did not discover diamonds, but 

 one of the richest beds of gold sand. 



In September of this year, finally, the finance minister got 

 a report by Count Polier, then residing at the estates of his 

 lady, situated at the Ural, stating, that Baron Humboldt, on 

 his journey through those parts, had several times found the 

 most striking resemblance between the Ural and Brazilian 

 mountains, and after manifold observations and inquiries was 

 persuaded that the Ural must contain diamonds. This opi- 



